


Between the Velvet Lies

by coolcat001100



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Drama, Female Frisk, Hurt/Comfort, SAVED Asriel Dreemurr, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2019-04-13 15:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14115351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolcat001100/pseuds/coolcat001100
Summary: Things seem fine for Asriel Dreemurr - the day is nice, there's nothing important he needs to worry about, and oh yeah, he's not a homicidal flower anymore. However, when Frisk comes to him with news concerning a long-forgotten face, Asriel finds himself forced to confront several emotions he didn't think he'd have to deal with.





	Between the Velvet Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Though practically the entirety of Undertale's fans is in agreement that Chara had a dark past, this was largely based off a theory I've seen going around recently where, according to certain subtle things in the game, Chara's relationship with Asriel was possibly abusive. While I've seen and enjoyed many interpretations where Chara is bitter and remorseful about their past, there's a lot of potential in a path where they aren't. This was basically a way for me to explore what that might be like. Part of what motivated me to start working on this was my friend KatelynntheG's interpretation of Chara, with a large amount of the inspiration coming from her "Like Mother Like Son" comic. Unlike most "evil Chara" interpretations, where they're just bad for the purpose of the player's actions in the genocide run, there's an interesting dynamic between the power they want and what they'll do to achieve it. Quite interesting, especially considering one of the words that inspired the name "Megalovania"...

The day seemed absolutely beautiful to him, but then again, when you've been stuck in a place closed away from the wide open world for so long, most days on the earth will seem beautiful to you. In reality, the day was barely worth a thought to most people. The temperature never seemed to rise above the sixties, muddy grey clouds blotted out much of the blue sky, and the air was strangely humid, with all the discomfort it brought. Yet Asriel took an odd kind of liking to these unremarkable qualities. He didn't mind the temperature, as his fur kept him warm enough already, he thought the way the clouds looked was beautiful in how imposing and foreboding they looked, and though the humidity did make him a touch uncomfortable, he was still fascinated by how different each day on the surface could feel, compared to the mellow sameness of each day under the mountain.

These new experiences of his life still fascinated him so much that he could just sit outside for dozens of minutes marveling at this brave new world. Such was the case this day as Frisk came to him with the news.

"Asriel!" they chirped as they dashed forward.

He turned, suddenly snapped back to reality. "Frisk! Howdy!" Though he felt like a bit of a dork for doing so, he couldn't help but feel his furry little chest swell with joy. He was one of the monsters who knew the kindness of the Angel firsthand, and he always looked forward to an opportunity to talk with them. "How are you doing?"

"Great! Listen, I wanted to tell you about something amazing that me and Dr. Alphys had been working on recently."

"Really? What is it?" He sat down and invited Frisk to do the same, as he could tell that it would probably be a lengthy discussion. Anything the good doctor was working on was bound to be complicated, and Frisk being involved would only make it more so.

"Well, remember how we had discovered that Chara's soul seems to be lingering within me? How it gave me that power to SAVE?"

Asriel's chest swelled a little less upon hearing the name of the fallen one, but his inquisitiveness remained. "Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, upon further examination, Alphys found that by taking what little of them remains in the same way we did with you, it's possible to bring them back as well! Isn't this great? You'll all be able to see them again!"

There was so much joy and excitement in Frisk's face that Asriel couldn't help but feel a little bad that he was unable to match the same kind of euphoria. He tried looking for those feelings of warm fuzziness in his belly he wanted to feel, but could only find the ugly serpents of doubt and uncertainty slithering down there. "Oh, um, that's- that's neat."

Frisk's smile started to fade as they saw the one on his face becoming more forced. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. This is good to hear."

"You don't sound like you think that."

"No, really. You're giving someone another shot at life. That's awesome. Heck, I know myself what it feels like."

Frisk wasn't fooled. Though his face was a decent cover, his true emotions were like an open book to them. They just couldn't see the pages well enough yet. "Asriel, what's going on?"

He sighed and turned away a bit. "Frisk, you've always wanted to do what's right, and that's great. I don't want to sound like I don't support it."

"Come on, after all you've been through, you deserve to be heard. Please, just tell me what's on your mind. I promise I'll really listen to you."

Asriel turned back and looked at them right in the face. He wanted to find any trace of earnestness and honesty in them, and of course came upon a motherload of it. _Of course they mean it, this is Frisk who's talking with you,_ he frustratedly thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well... do you remember when I told you a bit about Chara? How they... weren't really the greatest person?"

"Yeah..." Suddenly, what Alphys and them were working on didn't seem so wonderful.

"Well... I suppose I should tell you more about it."

And tell her more about it he did. He went through nearly everything that had happened to him when Chara was still the one he loved the most. He told Frisk of how he wanted to stop being so weak when Chara called him a crybaby, how he wanted to win their love again when they pushed him around, how certain he was that they were tormenting him to make him a stronger person, how badly he wanted to hold on to the times when they could have fun together like kids, how he felt it was his fault they had ended up dead and their plan had failed that fateful day so long ago. Throughout it all, Frisk's heart sank more and more. The pit of their stomach had become a vat of quicksand that had caught all their certainty in what they were doing within its sticky, devouring maw.

When Asriel was finally finished, a long moment of silence passed between them. Frisk's brain took a moment to chew at the situation that they had just shoveled onto their plate. "Asriel... I'm sorry... I'm just so sorry..."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Though his heart was heavy, he still managed a smile for them. "The past is just the past, right? You've told me that before."

"But even so, I should've told you about this before! If I had known about all this-"

"C'mon, Frisk, do you really think you'd ever pass up the opportunity to show anyone Mercy?"

"Wait... are you saying you're still fine with me and Alphys doing this?"

"Frisk... you're being given the opportunity to save another person. I wouldn't ask you to go back on that."

"But after all they put you through, after all that happened... aren't you worried about having to see them again?"

"Well... I'm not gonna lie, I'm terrified of that."

"What do you mean?"

"I just- I want to be able to show forgiveness to them in the same way you've shown forgiveness to everyone else, but... I don't know if I can. I want to let go of what happened between us, but I still remember. And now that they're going to be back, it'll be even harder to let go!" As he spoke, his voice became more and more emotional, finally showing the discomfort and fear he'd been holding down. He wanted to go on, but realized that he had run out of words. He sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry. You've probably already done so much hard work for this, and I'm making it sound like it was a waste. It's not. I just can't let go."

He stared at the ground for a few seconds before he felt a small weight grasp his hand. He looked and saw Frisk's hand, holding his. "Asriel... I understand."

He looked back up at them. "You do?"

The smiled. "Of course. I didn't go through what you did. It's completely understandable if you're not ready to welcome them again."

A wave of relief washed over him, the waters leaving a smile on the beach of his face. "Thanks. I was so worried that I'd be expected to just look at them normally again."

"Don't worry about that. When what me and Alphys are working on is finished, it's up to you to decide how you greet them again. Whether or not you're ready to forgive them, I'll understand. I'll have your back."

A single tear of joy escaped him before he said, "Thanks."

A small moment of silence passed before Frisk started moving in. Asriel had just enough time to open his arms before they took him into a tight embrace. Within the hug, Asriel had time to reflect on the wonderful life he had been given; the family who was so happy to see him, the world that was so different and big compared to the caves that had been his prison, the friends who would never stop supporting him. Much like his observations of the world, this experience of feelings that he had gone without for so long was so overwhelming and wonderful that he could just sit there taking it all in. The best part was that this time... he didn't have to let go.

Which of course gave the Angel enough time to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, puffing his ears up in surprise.  



End file.
